The strips on the pregnancy test are the main indicator of the result of the diagnosis. We will get to know these components later. What do you need to know about pregnancy tests for modern women? How to decipher the results? And why might a faint second streak appear? The answers to all this and not only will be necessarily discovered below. In reality, everything is not as difficult as it seems.
About the stripes
First, find out what, in principle, have to deal with. This is extremely important for every woman planning a child.
Strips on the test are indicators by which you can determine pregnancy at home. Or ovulation - depending on what kind of research is being done.
They can be:
Home tests are based on the reaction of the reagent to hormones in the urine. In our case, we are talking about hCG. This hormone is produced during pregnancy very quickly.
What do the stripes mean?
What do the stripes on a pregnancy test mean? It is not difficult to answer this question. In any instructions for a home pregnancy test, it is written how to decipher the results.
Ideally, it is recommended to focus on such indicators:
- one strip - there is no pregnancy;
- two bands - there is a pregnancy;
- three strips - failure, repeat the test.
The absence of any indicators on the test most often indicates that the device is expired. This is an extremely rare option. Nevertheless, the woman will have to repeat the study with another rapid test.
Readability
Despite such a simple decoding, the stripes on the pregnancy test cause a lot of questions for women. Is the study always reliable? And what if a pale streak appears on a pregnancy test?
Ideally, when conducting a home study on the success of conception, the second lane should be clear. In color, it coincides with the control strip, which always appears, even if there is no success in fertilizing the egg.
Deviation from such a picture is often the norm. Therefore, if a girl nevertheless suspects pregnancy, she will have to repeat the study in a few days. If the "interesting position" still takes place, the express test will give a brighter second line.
Indications and pregnancy
But that is not all. In general, interpreting the results of a urine test for hCG at home can be problematic. Especially if a woman does not want to repeat the study.
On the pregnancy test, the second strip, as we have said, may not be completely clear. And this is provided that the egg is successfully fertilized. This is normal if the study is conducted in the early days of the delay of critical days.
A similar phenomenon is associated with the production of the hCG hormone. During menstruation delays, the level of this substance in the body ranges from 25 to 156 mME / ml. Therefore, a positive result even during pregnancy may not occur immediately.
If the sensitivity of the rapid test is low (from 25 mME and above), the absence of a second line or the appearance of a pale second strip on a pregnancy test is possible. It is better to repeat the diagnosis after a couple of days or change the research device (company).
Negative rate
One strip on a pregnancy test is considered to be a negative result of a test for the success of conception of a child. This is an ideal option. It is he who makes women think that they will not become mothers soon.
It is important to remember that the line should be in the control zone and have a clear outline. Their absence is a sign of poor-quality devices for determining hCG in the urine.
Important: a negative result appears when the level of "pregnancy hormone" is too low. This situation is not excluded in the first days of menstruation delay. Or if the sensitivity of the express test is too low.
Delay
Does a pregnancy test show a second strip? Then you have to look at her. The lack of clear boundaries or the pallor of the line may not indicate that the woman will soon become a mother.
Often too pale strip on the express test with blurry borders emphasizes the delay of the device. To exclude this scenario, it is important to always check the expiration date of the studied devices. It is written on the box with the dough.
Poor quality
2 strips on a pregnancy test sometimes occur on poor-quality products. Especially when a week has already passed after the delay of critical days, and a woman is almost 100% sure that she will not become a mother soon.
Under such circumstances, the lines will be pale. In some cases, barely noticeable to the eye. The study will have to be repeated. If the situation arose again, you have to look for a reason in another.
Incorrect diagnosis
Two stripes on a pregnancy test with fuzzy borders and a pale color also appear when the procedure for diagnosing an "interesting position" is violated.
The thing is that on the package with the device the instructions indicate how to conduct this or that test correctly. Some express devices are placed under a stream of urine, while others are dripped with biological material collected in a special container. All this is extremely important.
If the procedure for conducting the study is violated, it may happen that a false positive or false negative result is displayed. And the control lines will be fuzzy.
Positive tests and their lies
Does a pregnancy test show a second strip? Why it happens? In some cases, home diagnosis is erroneous.
A false positive result is possible if:
- the girl recently had a miscarriage or abortion;
- a woman takes oral contraceptives;
- the couple is undergoing treatment for infertility;
- the girl had a hormonal malfunction;
- there are tumors in the body;
- impaired kidney function.
False results should be suspected if the second strip is pale in the pregnancy test. As already mentioned, the study will have to be repeated or immediately go to the gynecologist.
Ectopic pregnancy
No one is safe from an ectopic pregnancy. This terrible event in 100% of cases entails the interruption of an "interesting position". The main thing is to timely detect a deviation from the norm of attachment of the egg to the uterus.
Strips on a pregnancy test may indicate an ectopic position. Usually, after a diagnosis, a positive result is observed. The second line is pale, sometimes barely visible to the eye.
It is this phenomenon that should push the girl to a trip to the gynecologist. A specialist doctor will say for sure whether everything is fine with an "interesting position." You can go for an ultrasound. This is another rather effective method of obtaining information about the development of the future baby.
Nevertheless, the pale second strip on the pregnancy test should not be frightening if the study is carried out in the first days of the delay of menstruation or before it even occurs.
Gray color
In some cases, the girls say that the strips on the tests for home diagnostics of an "interesting position" are gray. They can be clear or blurry - this is not so important.
The thing is that the gray color of the lines on the rapid tests indicates an incorrect reaction of the reagent to urine. This happens when the diagnostic device is expired, damaged, or is defective.
Ovulation and its delay
There is another rather interesting scenario. The body of a woman is a mystery. Its processes can be affected by external factors. For example, overwork and stress.
It is hard to believe, but the result of diagnosis on an "interesting position" also depends on ovulation. What is this about?
With delayed ovulation, menstruation is delayed. Moreover, the test will show either one line or two, but fuzzy. This happens due to the fact that the hCG level does not correspond to the cycle.
Psychological factor
A pale strip on a pregnancy test is an indicator that raises many questions. In some cases, a woman sees him, if he really wants to quickly become a mother.
Here the role is played by the psychological factor. If you carefully and long peer into the pregnancy test, you can see the pale outline of the strip with the reagent. The contour is barely perceptible to the eye. It is enough to abandon a close examination of the diagnostic device of an “interesting position” in order to correctly interpret the readings.
Menstruation and diagnosis
It happens that a woman conducts a study under study during menstruation or vaginal bleeding. 2 stripes appear on the pregnancy test, but with fuzzy outlines or color.
A similar picture requires additional diagnosis or a visit to the doctor. Ideally, it is better to repeat the test after a couple of days. He will be negative.
It also happens that the diagnosis again shows 2 lines, but already more clear. This is a clear sign of pregnancy. Indeed, in some cases, even the correct attachment of the fetal egg does not affect critical days. Menstruation can be kept in the first trimester.
Menstrual bleeding in combination with a pale second strip can indicate a threat of miscarriage or detachment of the fetal egg. An ectopic pregnancy is also possible. Accordingly, if the test even after repeating with a strip, you need to see a doctor. Only an experienced specialist will be able to clarify the situation.
Normal pregnancy and fuzzy
On the pregnancy test, the second strip appears, but is it not too bright and clear?
It so happens that everything is in order with the future baby and mother, but the home diagnosis of an "interesting situation" is very doubtful. In particular, in combination with critical days. Why it happens?
For example, if a hormonal failure has occurred in the body. Often, minor bleeding from the vagina is observed when the fetal egg is attached to the walls of the uterus. This is implantation bleeding.
A rather rare, but occurring phenomenon is the fertilization of several eggs at once. In this case, one fertilized female cell moves to the uterus, and the second comes out with menstruation. Accordingly, indications of express diagnostics will be ambiguous. A second line will appear, but it will be pale.
A lack of progesterone is another option in which a woman during a period of "interesting situation" will encounter fuzzy lines on tests and with menstruation. Bleeding usually occurs when critical days are due.
Frozen pregnancy
On the pregnancy test, the second strip is barely visible? This is not a 100% confirmation of the "interesting position". Therefore, each woman should either repeat the diagnosis later, or go to the doctor to clarify the picture.
Blurring or blurring of the second line on the test may indicate a missed pregnancy. It occurs for various reasons. For example, due to gynecological problems and stress. In any case, the development of the fetus stops. HCG levels will not increase.
Nevertheless, while the pregnancy was normal, the content of the “pregnancy hormone” has already increased in the body. Therefore, the second line on the rapid test will appear. Only its color and clarity will indicate an ambiguous result.
Summary
We found out what the stripes on the pregnancy test mean. In order not to miscalculate with the result, it is better to choose inkjet or electronic tests. They are better, more accurate and more sensitive. Before the delay, the diagnosis of the "interesting position" is better not to carry out.
If a girl sees a pale second line on a pregnancy test, she may:
- change the manufacturer of the dough;
- change the type of diagnostic device;
- conduct a study at another time of the day (following the instructions);
- repeat the diagnosis in a few days;
- go to the doctor.
In any case, 100% pregnancy is confirmed with a clear 2 strips on the test and provided that the woman made love without protection.